2012 Monaco Lapalma 36DBD Review

Hit the road in style in this big Class A motorhome

By Amy Tokic, Photography by Monaco CoachJuly 20, 2012

There’s nothing quite like discovering the country in total comfort and convenience. And if you want to make yourself at home while on the road, you’ll want to check out the 2012 Monaco Lapalma Class A Motorhome.

With four floorplans to choose from, we’re going to take a closer look at the Lapalma 36DBD. It has an overall length of 37’4″, overall height of 12’8″, exterior width of 8’4″ and interior height of 7′. The 36DBD has a gross vehicle weight of 22,000 lbs, gross combined weight of 26,000 lbs, front gross axle weight of 8,000 lbs, and rear gross axle weight of 15,000 lbs. In terms of water, it has a gray tank capacity of 40 gallons, black tank capacity of 40 gallons and fresh tank capacity of 80 gallons. The 36DBD also has a 13.5M BTU ducted air conditioner and 35M BTU electronic ignition furnace.

Built on a Ford F-Series Super Duty chassis, the Lapalma is powered by a 6.8L Triton V-10 gasoline engine with electronic fuel injection. It comes equipped with a five-speed TorqShift automatic overdrive transmission with tow/haul mode, rear multi-leaf spring suspension and front and rear disc four-wheel anti-lock brakes. On the construction side of things, the Lapalma features laminated sidewall construction, high gloss fiberglass exterior walls and a front and rear fiberglass caps with one-piece windshield. Overhead, there’s a peaked one-piece fiberglass roof and underneath, there’s a laminated structure floor with block foam insulation. If you’re bringing along some extra gear, the 36DBD has a one-piece pass-through storage compartment with flush-mount baggage doors.

The Lapalma comes with awnings a-plenty. Not only do you get the standard patio awning, you also get living area slide-out topper awnings and a bedroom slide-out topper awning.

Other exterior features include a large chrome grille with easy access to the engine compartment, deluxe black exterior mirrors, molded ABS fenders, rear wheel mud flaps, vinyl graphics package, automatic electric exterior entrance step, rear ladder and undercoating. You also have the option of putting in an exterior entertainment center.

Even though you may be heading into the great outdoors, you won’t be left in the dark – the 2012 Monaco Lapalma comes with a slew of power features. It comes with a 50-Amp 120V distribution panel, 60-Amp electronic 12V power converter, Onan 5.5 kW gas generator and two 6V house batteries.

Inside the Monaco Lapalma 36DBD, you’re treated to a choice of Bali Bronze or Zulu Cocoa décor complemented by Newport Cherry glazed cabinetry. You’ll find accent wall paneling in the slide-outs and the bedroom end wall, and wallpaper border in the bathroom. Overhead, there’s a soft touch padded vinyl ceiling, and underfoot, there’s carpeting with pad in the cockpit, slide-outs and bedroom and linoleum flooring everywhere else. Other interior features include solar and room darkening roller shades and new hardwood slide-out fascia.

Up front in the cab, you’ll drive in comfort thanks to leatherette pilot and co-pilot recliner seats that come with cup holders, storage pods and 110V outlets. The automotive dash holds an Oxford Burl instrumentation panel, as well as in-dash seven-inch touch screen AM/FM/CD stereo radio that is Sirius Satellite ready with a SD card slot, USB port for MP3 players and flash drives, and a weather band. And you’ll be able to see everything that’s going on around you, thanks to an LCD three-camera rear vision system, center camera and exterior mirrors with cameras.

In the living/dining room area, the Lapalma 36DBD has a fabric booth dinette with an adjustable table top, ideal for family meals. Whether you’re entertaining or just hanging out, the leatherette expandable jackknife sofa has a comfy seat for everyone. The sofa is the ideal place to watch the 32-inch LCD TV.

The kitchen comes with a host of features that ensures your family stays well-fed while away from home. It comes equipped with a double-door refrigerator, three-burner cooktop with glass top and half-time oven, and lighted power range hood. The kitchen is dressed to impress, with solid surface countertops and backsplash, a solid surface counter extension and black smoked refrigerator door inserts. Other kitchen features include a single-lever faucet with pull-out sprayer.

You’ll have sweet dreams in the Lapalma 36DBD’s bedroom. Here, you’ll find a queen-sized bed innerspring mattress (this can be upgraded to a king-sized bed), as well as a hardwood headboard with a fabric insert, a bedspread with a reverse sham and a decorative pillow. The bedroom also comes with satin nickel swivel bullet lights, a TV cabinet, a 19 inch LCD TV, nightstands on either side of the bed and wardrobe closets.

Finally, we come to the Lapalma’s bathroom – and it doesn’t leave you wanting. It comes standard with a stainless steel sink, a single-handle polished chrome bath faucet, a Macerator toilet and a rectangle shower with a glass door.

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